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How much blood can a human body afford to lose and survive? A liter? A pint?My vision grew watery.
“Stop!” That was Matty’s voice, his real voice, and it ripped my mind out of its dark spiral.
“Matty!” I tried to scream his name, but it came out as a harsh whisper.
He was standing close to the front door like he was planning to make a run for it. Leo was on the opposite side of the room, pulling himself to his feet.
Matty pressed the heels of his palms to his temples. “Stay back.” His eyes were pinched shut, a grimace morphing his face.
“It’s okay.” I reached out a hand and eased forward. “Stay with me. Fight it.”
He shook his head again. “Stop.”
I didn’t. I wouldn’t. He was my brother, goddammit.
Then his stance changed, and I knew it wasn’t him again.
The shadow pressed a fist to Matty’s chin, tilting his head to the side until an audible pop filled the space between us. Leo and Lily took up positions on either side of me.
“We can’t let him leave,” I said, fighting to keep my voice calm.
Matty’s black eyes scanned me up and down. “Give. It.” The thing sounded so freaking creepy. Deep and raspy and dangerously primitive.
I spread my arms wide, grinding my teeth as the wound in my back protested the gesture. “You want it? Come and get it.”
If I could just get my hands on him, maybe I could coax my brother back out. Maybe I could help him fight.
The shadow shot across the room with superhuman speed, driving me back several feet and smashing us both into the wall behind me. I tried to fight him, gripping his shirt and shoving, leaving my blood smeared across the fabric, but then those black eyes went blue again.
Shock and fear filled Matty’s expression. “Nev...” He reached a trembling hand down to the crimson staining his shirt. “Oh fuck.”
I wanted to tell him it was okay. That I knew it wasn’t him. I knew he would never intentionally hurt me, but the words caught in my throat.
“I’m sorry,” he said in a whisper so filled with pain it brought tears to my eyes. “So sorry.” Then he turned and darted for the door.
I lunged after him, fire licking up my back and down my leg.
Leo caught me by the shoulders before I’d made it three steps. “Never, wait.”
“Let go,” I bit out. When he didn’t, I sucked in a bracing breath and tore free of his grip.
3
HOOK
Cool air swirled in the darkness of the caves. The sea witch had always been fond of keeping herself hidden down here, away from prying eyes. Whether that was because she was forever trapped mid-shift or just purely from the nature of her inner beast? Well, that was anyone’s guess.
“Eylarue!” My bellow echoed back at me, set to a symphony of waves crashing against the stone walls outside.
“Captain.” She slithered out of the black at the far end of the cavern, her reptilian eyes glowing an eerie green in the dim light. “How lovely to see you.”
Rue was a demi-gorgon, the forgotten daughter of Medusa and a warlock. Theirs had been a powerful union that had imbued Rue with the rare gift of a seer. If the stories about her were true, she was one of a handful in all of existence with the ability to call images from beyond the realm she inhabited.
That was a claim I intended to put to the test.
“The pleasure is mine,” I said, offering the witch a deep bow.
We weren’t friends, but we also weren’t enemies. In fact, we’d found something of a working balance through the years. Though the occasions we’d interacted in that time still numbered in the single digits.
